A PLANNED new festival will bring together vintage buses, traction engines, commercial vehicles and cars.

The North East Festival of Transport is due to take place in Seaburn, Sunderland, over the weekend of July 29 to 30 next year.

It is hoped it will become a major showcase event for the region and has received backing from a number of groups including the North East Bus Preservation Trust, North East Land Sea and Air Museum and Sunderland and District Classic Vehicle Society.

Councillor John Kelly, from Sunderland City Council, said: "Our region has a phenomenal transport heritage and a huge number of individuals and groups preserving that heritage for future generations.

“But for many years we have lacked the opportunity to bring those elements together to really showcase our transport heritage and provide an opportunity for the public to learn more about it.

"The North East Festival of Transport aims to right that wrong. By bringing together vintage buses from yesteryear with the vehicles that kept our heavy industries working and the cars that our parents or grandparents went on holiday in, we intend to create a spectacle that everyone will be able to relate to and enjoy at our wonderful seaside."

Peter Elliott, chairman of the North East Bus Preservation Trust, said: "We, like many other groups, spend a huge amount of time restoring vintage vehicles from the North-East and hold our own events for the public.

“The aim of this event is to create a critical mass of interest in all forms of transport heritage to allow us to really tell the story of North-East transport."